News: Raising awareness of sickle cell disease and presenting the EXCELLENTIA program in the DRC
The President of the Denise NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI Foundation recently organized a lunch at the Pullman Hotel Lubumbashi to raise awareness about the EXCELLENTIA program among approximately one hundred and eighty students from twenty schools in Haut Katanga. This program aims to promote academic excellence among young people and offers scholarships to state exam winners who obtain at least 85%. The objective of this event was also to raise awareness among students about sickle cell anemia, considered the first genetic disease in the world.
During this meeting, the First Lady encouraged the students to aim for academic excellence, emphasizing that obtaining this scholarship would offer them the opportunity to pursue their university studies both nationally and abroad. She also insisted on the importance of fighting sickle cell anemia, a disease that affects many families in the DRC. The First Lady reminded the students of the importance of getting tested, stressing that certain hospitals in Lubumbashi will soon make screening kits available to them.
The event was also an opportunity to highlight some of the scholarship recipients from the first edition of the EXCELLENTIA program, who served as an inspiring example for future laureates. Since its inception, the EXCELLENTIA program has awarded scholarships to 241 students, of which 82 are continuing their studies abroad and 159 are local scholarship holders.
This initiative to raise awareness of sickle cell anemia and promote academic excellence demonstrates the commitment of the Denise NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI Foundation to supporting Congolese youth in their educational journey and to fighting against genetic diseases. Through events such as this, more and more students will have the opportunity to realize their potential and contribute to the development of the country.
Sources:
– Development, edition of November 9, 2023: “Awareness of sickle cell anemia and presentation of the EXCELLENTIA program: the Denise NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI Foundation brings together students from Haut Katanga” (link: https://fatshimetrie.org/blog/2023/11/09 /sickle-cell-awareness-and-presentation-of-the-excellentia-program-the-denise-nyakeru-tshisekedi-foundation-brings-together-the-students-of-haut-katanga/)
Note: The quoted parts come from the cited sources.